Are You Ready to Get Back to Football?
Detroit Lions vs. NY Giants - Photo by Bill Striffler
If you’ve been living under a rock, or hiding in a dark air conditioned room for the past couple weeks you may not have realised that the NFL is back.
That’s right! Take a deep breath and let all that excitement out.
The Lockout that started on March 13th, the one that took football, the game we love, away from us is finally over.
On July 25th, Roger Goodell and his entourage of owners cut the red ribbon and officially opened the NFL for the 2011-12 season.
And once open for business the Tropical storm that is Free Agent Frenzy blew through town and left some improved and some not-so-improved teams in its wake.
When it was all said and done, one team has evolved as the so called “Miami Heat” of the NFL. Step forward the Philadelphia Eagles. With the acquisitions of Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominic Rodgers-Cromartie, Ronnie Brown, Cullen Jenkins, and the list goes on and on, they have become the super team of the league. And also the team to beat.
Other than players switching teams, what else is new with the new Collective Bargaining Agreement?
Rookie Scale – The signing of top draft picks will now be much simpler and not to mention cheaper. In the past there would be no guaranteed length of contract for rookies, but now all contracts will be 4 years in length (With a 5th year team option). There also isn’t a guaranteed amount for any contract, so rookies can take less money to help their team. Take Cam Newton for instance. This year’s top pick has been signed to a 4 year $22 million contract with the Carolina Panthers, to help the team resign both Deangelo Williams and Charles Johnson.
Salary Cap – NFL teams now need to be wary about the new $120 million salary cap. With this in place teams have turned to dumping players. And I mean good players. The Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens are examples of 2 teams that had to cut salary to fit under the cap. Dallas released Wide Receiver Roy Williams, Running Back Marion Barber, and Offensive Lineman Leonard Davis, who all have been to the Pro Bowl. While the Ravens let WR Derrick Mason and RB Willis McGahee walk. But the biggest name to have been released has to be former Tennessee Titan QB Vince Young. Who, in the meantime, has been signed by, who else, the Philadelphia Eagles.
Some Storylines to Keep an Eye On
Who will be the quarterback in Denver?
Will the Patriots experiment work?
Who will be the surprise team?
And what team will fail to reach expectations?
The NFL Preseason Starts on August 11 but the real action begins on Thursday September 8th when the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers host the New Orleans Saints at Lambeau field.
Now stealing a phrase from Hank Williams Jr., “Are you ready for some football?”